Summoning Seven
by bewilder22
Summary: The Giant War is over. Everything's settled and finally at peace for the first time since the Titan War, but there's an old score- an apology, a wrong- that needs to be settled.


The seven stood around the pit. It wasn't very deep, but it was filled to the brim with grapes and olives and cupcakes and gyros without any wasted space. Water seeped between the food.

Percy looked to Nico and nodded. The son of Hades looked to the pit and then closed his eyes. He chanted.

The crickets froze and emitted no sound. The birds flew away, and the wind picked up. It was already a dark and stormy night, but the winds only grew stronger.

Wind whipped Percy's hair back off his face. Only once had he experienced this ritual before. It had been intended to get Nico back on his side by talking to his sister. This time: it was business.

The others did not shared his comfort with the ceremony. Piper pulled into Jason for reassurance, but even he didn't seem to assured himself. Hazel gripped Frank's forearm, and the son of Mars' hand was white against his spear. They were all nervous.

Leo was the most open about the whole thing. His curly hair was whipping and tangling itself even more and his mischievous eyes lost all of their shimmer.

"Somebody turn on a sound machine. It's creepy quiet!" he panted.

No one responded. As time grew on, Percy just became more agitated. _She has to come._

Shadowy figures began to emerge from the rock on the hillside. The goats grazing raced out in a frenzy. The ghosts were getting closer.

Percy pulled out his sword too keep them at bay as he had a Geryon's stables. None of them were her.

_Please, come. I need you._

Then another shadowy figure stepped into the open. It seemed as normal as the other, but there was something slightly off. It was covered in a thin veil of gray.

The ghost walked all the way over to the group. It stopped just before Percy's blade. It seemed to be sizing it up. Percy lowered his sword in a daze. _Just like her._

He made way for the apparition. It walked over to the pit, knelt down, and drank. As it arose, a collective gasp escaped everyone's lips except Percy and Nico.

"Annabeth…" Piper whispered. She smiled at them- a warm, comforting smile. She was at ease. Peaceful.

Her form glowed with new-found radiance. She was healthy and well. So different from the way they had left her.

"Hi, guys," she replied slowly as if not yet quiet used to her earth form. "Congratulations on the win."

"You're…you're…"

She gave a small laugh, "I know it's weird- seeing me this way. Sorry, we had to meet like this."

Everyone was quiet. They all just stared at each other as if they couldn't believe they had actually summoned Annabeth's spirit from the dead. It was so completely unorthodox.

Percy managed to find his voice, "Annabeth."

She turned around to see him- her face both grudging and elated.

"Percy…," she whispered. "I knew you'd try this sooner or later."

He lost his voice again. She was here; right here! There were so many things he wanted to tell her. So many things he'd waned to do with her like hold her hand and feel the warmth of her skin… but that was all gone now.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. He was losing himself fast. Annabeth did that to him. She shook her head sadly.

"Its not your fault, Percy. It's a way of life. We all die at some point."

"But yours wasn't now!"

"We all like to believe that."

"Why are you saying that?" he exclaimed. He was angry with her now. Percy couldn't stand to see her accept an untimely death.

"Because it's the truth." Percy stared at her imploringly. She could barely meet his eyes. His beautiful green eyes that had become so endearing. "I know it hurts, Percy, but you have to let go."

"I can't," he garbled. His eyes became wet an Annabeth almost lost all of her courage to speak. "Not when it could've been me."

"Percy, if you had stayed, nothing would turn out right," she tried to explain.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

Annabeth sighed.

"Personal loyalty, Percy."

"My fatal flaw?" he asked. She nodded.

"My mother told you about it. To save a friend you'd sacrifice the world. Percy, if you had stayed, the giants would have won."

Everyone was quiet. The six other members of the _Argo II_ silently agreed. It was_Percy_ who had landed the final blow. It was _Percy _who had gotten Calypso to help them. It was _him_ who closed the Doors.

Leaving Annabeth inside.

"I'm not anything special," she admitted. "I don't special powers like controlling water or fire or air. I can't summon the dead or precious metals, much less turn into anything I want."

"B-but you're _you_!" he sighed exasperated. "You're Athena's golden child, the architect of Olympus, the one who found the mark. You're the perfect demigod child, the smartest woman in the world! You're everything to me!"

Annabeth began to tear up. She smiled at him, but ti was a ghostly smile. It was small and weak.

"I _love_ that you see that way, Percy," she spoke. Her voice was scratchy and on the verge of going away. "But there's something more important than anything else on this quest that I realized when we were in Tartarus."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "And?"

Annabeth sighed.

"I'm not one of the seven. I never was."


End file.
